Taichung city councilors on Wednesday suggested the municipal government establish a “cultural asset materials bank” that would keep materials from torn down historic buildings in storage to be used for restoration of heritage sites.
Taichung City Councilor Wang Li-jen (王立任) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that materials removed from old buildings were often discarded as they had no “cultural value” and that it was a shame that top-grade building materials were disposed of this way.
Wang called on the municipality to emulate Tainan, which established a similar facility in July, adding that it would prove useful when cultural relics and historic buildings need restoration.
Taichung City Councilor Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) of the DPP seconded the motion, saying it would not cost much to establish such a facility.
Chen estimated it would cost about NT$3 million to NT$5 million (US$99,430 to NTS$165,717) to establish a materials depot.
The city government’s Department of Cultural Affairs said it was planning to establish a bank in a 527 ping (1,742m2) warehouse that is part of a historic complex belonging to the Japanese colonial-era Taichung Tobacco Refinery.
The department said it had pledged an additional NT$5 million next year to make simple reinforcements to the structure, repair pipes, lay wiring and install security measures, and that it planned to make the bank operational by the end of next year.
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